Sports News on the Independent Schools Rugby Festival held at St Charles College.
While our U14 rugby team had a great time in Johannesburg, winning 3 from 3 at the Independent Schools Rugby Festival (and winning the last 7 matches of their 2025 season), the U18 version of the ISRF was hosted by St Charles College. As reported by Head Coach, Craig Dwyer, the senior edition kicked off on 28 June, with 15 schools from across South Africa and a touring team from Brisbane, Australia taking part in what was a memorable, week-long celebration of schoolboy rugby. The conditions were perfect for running rugby – warm, sunny days paired with a hard, fast track, enabled teams to express themselves freely and play expansive and entertaining rugby.
St Charles College had the luxury of fielding two squads in this year’s festival, stepping in to fill the space left by a late withdrawal. This unique opportunity allowed us to have a closer look at the wider group of players ahead of the 2026 season, the squads included boys from our U16A, U16B, 2nd XV, and even our 3rd team. It was a tremendous occasion for them to showcase their skills and stake a claim for higher honours.
SCC Blue XV
Day 1 was always going to be a challenge for the Blues, given the limited time they had to train as a unit. However, the team found their feet in the second half of their opening fixture, showing real growth and cohesion as they went down to a very good St Johns team. Day 2 saw a vastly improved and more clinical performance. The brand of rugby displayed was outstanding, fluid ball movement across the field, solid set-pieces, and a clear rhythm and confidence to their play. This culminated in a convincing 33–8 win over a good St Alban’s side.
SCC Gold XV
The Gold squad had two fixtures during the festival. Their opening match was against Somerset College from the Cape – renowned for their attacking style of play and willingness to run the ball from broken play. Despite the challenge, the Gold XV produced a polished performance on both sides of the ball, combining powerful defence with sharp attacking play to secure a convincing 33–5 victory.
Our second encounter was against Brisbane Boys’ College – one of the top schoolboy rugby sides in Australia. The first half proved extremely tough, with the Gold XV trailing 40–3 at the break. However, some key tactical adjustments and a strong message at half-time to focus on our discipline at the breakdown – where the message was to leave the breakdown alone, and to ensure all 15 players were on the feet and filling the field on D, this did the trick and as a result ignited a spirited fightback. The Gold squad outscored their opponents 21–7 in the second half, eventually going down 47–24, but walking away with our heads held high. It was a performance full of heart and belief.
Across both squads, the festival provided invaluable opportunities to evaluate players in a competitive environment. It was incredibly encouraging to see the depth and talent we have at our disposal heading into 2026. A heartfelt thank you to the organisers for their tireless efforts in ensuring the festival ran seamlessly, and to all the participating teams for their spirit and contribution to what was a truly enjoyable week of rugby. We wish everyone the best for the off-season, and we look forward to another exciting year ahead.
Photo credit Dean Riley
